Welcome to the new CanadianLiving.com �?? Take the tour!

We've got a great new look and lots of features you'll love, but we still have all the content you know us for, like recipes, web-exclusive articles, contests and more. Take a few moments to check out:

• Advanced Recipe Search tool. Find tasty recipes that fit your needs and tap into our extensive database of more than 4,000 Tested-Till-Perfect recipes. With our new Advanced Recipe Search, you can find recipes within chosen categories that exclude specific foods or ingredients of your choice. This is the only website in Canada that offers this level of personalized search to meet the dietary needs of you and your family.

• E-newsletters. Looking for new menus or entertaining tips? Fast and easy weeknight suppers? The latest health information or tips on parenting and relationships? Sign up now for our new FREE e-newsletters!

• My CL, CanadianLiving.com’s new online community, where you can upload your photo, share recipes, type in your own recipes and even submit them to go public on the site, bookmark your favourite articles and more!

Nutrition

Food allergies have an immune basis, so you experience symptoms every time you consume a food. Typical symptoms include skin rash, swelling and hives; severe reactions can be life-threatening. (Gas and bloating without any other symptoms don't necessarily constitute an allergic reaction.) Unlike intolerances, a delayed response is rare—allergic reactions usually present within minutes to a few hours after eating the food.

Diseases like celiac are different. For those with the autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks one's own body when gluten is consumed, damaging the villi that line the intestines, which can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies. If a screening blood test for celiac comes back positive, the diagnosis is usually confirmed with a biopsy of the small intestine. The Canadian Digestive Health Foundation suspects more than 330,000 Canadians have celiac disease, but only a third of cases are diagnosed. It's a lifelong disorder, and those with celiac are at an increased risk of other diseases, such as thyroid problems, Type 1 diabetes and small intestinal cancer.

Food sensitivities, meanwhile, can mean different things. Some experts consider sensitivity to be synonymous with intolerance, but there is no consensus in the scientific community. "Sensitivity is a rather loose term," says Dr. Mohsin Rashid, pediatric gastroenterologist and professor of pediatrics and medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax as well as professional advisory board member of the Canadian Celiac Association. "It means you get symptoms when you consume a food, but it's probably not an intolerance—you're not missing something in the body to digest it—and it's not a typical allergy, either." Symptoms vary from person to person, as does the amount of the food required to provoke the reaction.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity—when people get gluten-triggered symptoms but don't have celiac disease or the accompanying damage to the intestines—is an example of a food sensitivity. With no test for this sensitivity, the diagnosis is made by ruling out celiac disease. "It is hard to study how many people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity," says Dr. Rashid, "because patients may not be going to their physicians—they are trying a gluten-free diet on their own first." Self-diagnosing is potentially dangerous, as some people who think they have a gluten sensitivity could actually have celiac disease or a wheat allergy, which, if left untreated, could have serious long-term health consequences.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Fashion

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

We’ve all been there, you know, scrambling at the 11th hour to get an extra-special present for someone important on your list. These last-minute gifts are so thoughtful, they’ll never know you just picked it up.

Slideshow

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

All about that bass

If you’ve exhausted your options for a gift for that special guy in your life—because he’s either too picky or has almost everything—consider a portable Bose speaker. This one is water-resistant (great for camping and hiking), has full-range sound and is durable and simple to use. Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth® Speaker II, $181.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Wine charm

Most ornaments go on sale in early December, so this is the kind of gift that’s perfect to pick up last minute because it will actually save you money. Sweeten the deal and give an ornament hanging from a bottle of wine. Glitterville Antler Ornament, $7.50.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

The crowd pleaser

Still missing a gift for your Mother-in-law or your dear aunt that always bakes you fruit cake? Head to Shoppers Drug Mart and give her the gift of Amazing Grace. This best selling fragrance from beauty brand Philosophy smells clean and beautifully feminine with a powdery floral air of sophistication and polish. This collection includes Eau de Toilette, shampoo, bath and shower gel and whipped body crème.Amazing Grace Holiday Set, $60.

You’ve got mail

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Sock it to them

Need a gift ASAP, but don’t have time to leave the house? Simple, order online and give the gift that keeps on giving with a new pair of socks every month, for a year! These vibrant and graphic socks are available for both men and women. One pair every six months, $78. One pair for a year, $146.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Lit up

Need a little something special for your child’s teacher or your next door neighbour? Pick up a tin Voluspa candle. The packaging is beautiful and the two wicks give off a rich glow. This scent smells of sweet apricots muddled withs superfine sugar and crisp Prosecco. Voluspa Prosecco Bellini Two Wick Tin, $16.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Grab & go

There are few places that are open on Christmas day, but Starbucks is one of them. If you’re on your way to your holiday dinner and realized you forgot something for that caffeine loving cousin of yours, make a pitstop at your local Starbucks and grab one of their festive drinkware cups. We love the ceramic sweater cup with a swivel lid. Sweater double wall traveler, $27.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Hostess bait

Headed to one of your besties for your annual friends holiday dinner and need something clever to bring? Gift something useful and beautiful with a little bit of whimsy, like this marble cheese board. Crafted from creamy white marble, the cool surface is ideal for serving cheese and charcuterie. Expressions marble and copper cheese board, $37.

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Sleep easy

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list

Teen pleaser

Need something for your teenage niece, but have absolutely no idea what she’s into? Whether she’s artistic, sporty, goth or one of the "popular girls" at her high school she’ll be into something from NYX Cosmetics. We especially love these palettes, choose from one of seven that houses eight shades of shadow and one liquid matte lipstick. NYX Cosmetics Wanderlust Lip & Eye Collection, $25.

Beauty

Secret Santa gifts (you'll want to keep!) at every price

It should be easy, but sometimes finding a gift within a certain price range that is still thoughtful can be difficult. Let us help.

Finding the perfect Secret Santa gift is more difficult than it seems. First, if you're buying for someone specific, you want to gift to be thoughtful—but that can be difficult if you only have a limited budget. And that's the thing about the budget—you need the gift to be less than, but close to, your budget (whether it's self-imposed or part of a larger secret santa mandate). Plus, sometimes you don't know who your secret Santa is! And shopping for a mystery person means you need to get something that will appeal to pretty much everyone.

Secret Santa gifts (you'll want to keep!) at every price

Under $10

This item combines two of our favourite things—the Toronto Blue Jays and lapel pins! Not a sports fan? Luckily there are plenty of lapel pin options to make sure you find the right one for your giftee.

Quick & Easy

Easy pasta salad recipes

Planning a picnic or family barbecue anytime soon? Give yourself one less thing to worry about and go for one of our easy pasta salad recipes. It's sure to be a hit!

Pasta salads are great to make ahead, and are absolute tops for large groups. They also take the cake for being an extremely versatile dish – with a host of added ingredients, toppings and dressings, simple pasta salads can go from humble side to star entrée in no time.

We asked Test Kitchen food specialist Amanda Barnier to share some top tips for preparing pasta salads, and why they're a crowd favourite. Here's what she had to share:

Pasta salads: the perfect make-ahead dish
"Pasta salads can easily be prepped in advance and can feed a crowd with little effort," Amanda says. "It can be made in advance and cooled immediately after cooking."

One important tip to remember, she adds, is to "add dressing the day it's being served, because it will quickly absorb the dressing."

Pasta salad favourites
"I like using cheese filled tortellini for a hearty salad. Soba and rice noodles are great with Asian dressings, whole grain and coloured pastas," Amanda says.

How to store pasta salads
"Keep salads well wrapped and refrigerated," she says. "Salad has the same storage life as its ingredients. Seafood is best eaten within 2 days, and chicken (within) 2 to 3 days. If traveling, be sure to store pasta salads in coolers packed with lots of ice."

"Proteins should not be within 4 C and 60 C for longer than a four hour period," she adds.

The long and short of it: best pasta shapes
"Short shapes are best with vinaigrettes and creamy dressings, and chunky ingredients such as chopped vegetables and beans," Amanda says.

Tips for making pasta salad
"If making a pasta salad in advance, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and drain well," she advises. "Add dressing just prior to serving. Pasta quickly absorbs liquids; if the dressing is added too soon, the pasta will absorb it."

So whether you prefer chunky pasta salads with a cool, creamy dressing perfect for summer picnics, or entrée-worthy pasta salads with long rice noodles and a tangy vinaigrette, you're sure to find a new favourite with from our collection.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
This salad highlights many fresh flavours of the Mediterranean and is at its best when made with good-quality olive oil.

Photography by Jeff Coulson

The Best Macaroni Salad
This is a great keeper salad and perfect for a picnic or BBQ. Just make sure you pack it with plenty of ice packs to keep it nice and cold, both during transportation and at the table.

Photography by Annabelle Waugh

Chicken, Broccoli and Bocconcini Pasta Salad
Make this pasta salad for the whole family—the kids will love the mild dressing and round bocconcini cheese, while the adults will appreciate it as a light alternative to a sandwich.

Warm Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad
The dressing lends a taste of summer any time of year. The red peppers provide vitamins A and C and potassium. Quick and easy to make, this salad is perfect to take to a last-minute potluck or picnic.